1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method for specifying image data to be printed out by a recording unit according to information described in a mark-sensing sheet that is read by an image reading unit, and also to an image processing apparatus that uses the image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional printing apparatuses, such as printers, are configured to be able to perform printing on a recording medium other than paper, for example, a plastic sheet for an overhead projector (OHP).
In addition, in recent years, various types of storage medium disks, such as a compact disk-recordable (CD-R) and a digital versatile disk-recordable (DVD-R), that have a label side on which printing can be performed are provided. In addition, printers that are capable of performing printing on the label side of a storage medium disk described above are already marketed.
With such a printer, a user can print, on the label side of a storage medium disk, such as a CD-R or a DVD-R, that stores photograph data taken by a digital camera or moving image data taken by a video camera, a user's favorite image (for example, a still image or a clip image of moving image data stored in the storage medium disk) or a character string, such as a caption or a title of the image.
Meanwhile, in controlling an image printing of an image photographed by a digital camera that is capable of photographing a moving image or a still image or in performing printing on a label, label printing-dedicated application software that is installed on a personal computer (PC) is commonly used. In this regard, however, recently, in a multifunction peripheral (hereinafter referred to as an “MFP”) type printer to which a digital camera or a memory card can be directly connected, such printing processing (print control processing such as a direct print) can be performed with the printer alone instead of using a PC.
The above-mentioned MFP includes various types of interfaces, such as a universal serial bus (USB) or an IEEE1394 serial bus for connecting to a digital camera, and a card slot for a storage medium such as a memory card (for example, a secure digital (SD) card or a compact flash (CF) card), and is capable of printing an image stored in the digital camera or the memory card on the label-side surface of a storage medium disk while applying a desired layout thereto.
In addition, a type of MFP that includes a display unit having a limited area of display and has an image reading unit such as a scanner, as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-273973, is configured to print a mark-sensing sheet that contains thumbnail images and mark fields. A user can put a mark on a mark filed and cause the scanner of the MFP to read the mark-sensing sheet so as to print a photograph marked by the user.
Such a mark-sensing sheet has a configuration such as is shown in FIG. 4. The mark-sensing sheet shown in FIG. 4 includes a mark field A, a thumbnail field B, a user instruction field C, and a bar code field E. The mark filed A is used to designate the size and kind of paper, a print option, the number of prints to make, etc. The thumbnail field B contains thumbnail images of image files stored in a storage medium (for example, a memory card or a digital camera connected via an interface such as USB). The thumbnail field B further includes mark fields used for designating printing of images corresponding to the thumbnail images. The user instruction field C contains a user instruction relating to printing (or further contains a reprint designation mark). The bar code field E is used to identify the type of mark-sensing sheet when the mark-sensing sheet is read by the scanner afterwards.
The user causes the MFP to print the mark-sensing sheet and marks a desired image shown in the thumbnail field B. Then, the user designates the size and kind of paper, a print option, and the number of prints to make via the mark field A. The user then allows the scanner to read the mark-sensing sheet. Thus, the user can print the desired image under conditions that the user desires.
Standardized storage medium disks, such as a CD-R and a DVD-R, have a specification such that the center of the storage medium disk is perforated with a hole for a spindle. In printing a photographic image on the surface of a storage medium disk, it is a concern if a portion of the photograph is in the portion of the storage medium disk where the hole is located. For example, in the case of printing an image of a person, if the face of the person shown in the center of the photograph is located at the position of the hole, the user cannot obtain a satisfactory result of printing of a label.
That is, when the shape of a print medium is a rectangle, just as a conventional paper (or a plastic sheet) medium of a standard size, a whole part of the photograph can be laid out without a large unpresented part. Accordingly, the user does not necessarily need to confirm a printed result in advance.
On the other hand, the storage medium disk has a special circular shape having a hole in the center thereof. Accordingly, unless a photograph is printed in a very small size, there is always an unprinted portion of an image to be printed, corresponding to the central hole of the storage medium disk. In performing printing on the label side of the storage medium disk, considering the unordinary special shape of the disk, the user needs to confirm the unprinted portion prior to printing.
For countermeasures against such confirmation, the MFP can include a color display unit so as to display a printed result prior to printing. However, with the color display unit installed, the cost of the entire apparatus will increase.
If software for causing a PC to display a print preview image is used, a printed result of the label side can be displayed. However, especially for an MFP for use at home, it is desired that the MFP adapts a product specification such that print control such as a direct print can be performed without using an external host device such as a PC to perform basic print control without using a PC as far as possible.
In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-114485, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-255760, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-30670 discuss a method for printing a photographic image while applying a layout thereto. However, they neither discuss the above problem nor propose any solution.